(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to air jet looms and, more particularly, to a system for automatically controlling an air jet loom used for weaving cloth having more than one pick range, such as tire-cord fabric.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Tire-cord fabric includes a body portion having between 1 and 3.5 picks per inch (ppi) and a tab portion at each end of the body portion having between 3.5 and 50 ppi. The tab portion is used to stabilize the ends of the body portion of the cloth and to permit separation of the cloth into smaller batches. Because of the differences in pick density between the body portion and tab portions, it is necessary that temples be inserted to stretch the fabric when the tab portion is woven to keep the fabric at its correct width. Conventional temples are set at the fell of the cloth so that the warp and the filling in the weaving will interface at right angles to form the proper fabric width.
One such device is the so-called "Lupton" temples wherein a web is wrapped around a rotatable cylindrical rod, which is located in a tubular bar, the web entering and going out of the interior of the hollow bar through a slot as it is fed. This type of temple can be set very close to the fell of the cloth because of their small cross-section and because they extend over the entire weaving width and they favor a uniform interlacing of the filling yarn.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,979, issued to Porter, provides an improvement over the "Lupton" temples in a construction which is effective to improve the stretching effect of such temples. The ends of the cylindrical rod are designed as tubular portions having a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal keyways which extend through the wall of the tubular portion. Longitudinal keys are provided in the keyways with needle points which project at least approximately radially to the outside and are placed and guided in each of the keyways for the positive longitudinal displacement. Advantageously, the longitudinal motion of the keys is obtained by guiding their end portions in an oblique annular grove which is provided in a guide body connected to the hollow bar and secured in a stationary position against rotation. In addition, a radial piercing of the selvage zone by the needle points during rotation of the rod to produce an anchorage of the web to the keys is obtained by providing a bolt which extends parallel to, and eccentrically of, the rod in each of the tubular end portions of the rod and is fixed in the guide body. The bolt extends through a bore of the guide body in which it is fixed, and the longitudinal keys bear against its circumferential surface. The rod is mounted for turning eccentrically relatively to the bolt so that, with its continuous turning, the longitudinally displaceable keys are moved with their needle points into and out of the longitudinal keyways over at least a part of the peripheral ranges which are enveloped by the web. However, like conventional "Lupton" temples, these temples can not be automatically inserted and removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,978, issued to Jindra, discloses a method and apparatus for lateral tensioning or holding knitted fabrics at a predetermined width. A portion of the fabric adjacent to the edge is formed having uncovered weft threads. The uncovered weft threads are engaged and deflected from above and below by means of a lever which penetrates between the uncovered weft threads so that the strip bears against the side of the which acts as a temple. However, the temple device is continuously in engagement with the fabric and can not be automatically inserted and removed.
Another known type of temple with a good stretching effect is a so-called spike-disc temple, which is equipped with needle points which are manually actuated to stick into the selvage. Such temples are bulky so that they cannot be mounted close to the fell of the cloth, as is the case with the known "Lupton" temples, however, they may be easily engaged and disengaged by hand through use of a wrench.
However, because conventional temples are manually operable only, none of these temples are adaptable for use with modern control systems which can be programed to execute multiple operations in a specific sequence. Without a means for automatically inserting and removing temples it is impossible to develop a loom control system for automatically controlling, without the need for operator intervention, an air jet loom for use in weaving cloth having more than one pick range, such as tire-cord fabric.
Thus, there remains a need for an automatic temple insertion device for use with a new and improved air jet loom control system which is operable to insert multiple tabs on a roll for separating multiple body portions of the roll, providing an inspection segment per roll, and/or providing a cut line either by "no picks" or by changing the filling used within the tab.